Locking attachment



A. D. CROSS Aug 25,v E925.

LOCKING ATTACHMENT Filed Jam. 16, 19225 5 INVENTOR ,va/p/Q W AT RNEY.

Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES Kr. Q51 51 amer.

ALEXANDER D. CROSS, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

LOCKING ATTACHMENT Application filed January 16, 1923. Serial No. 612,917.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER D. CRoss, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a locking attachment which is particularly adapted for use in closing such articles as suitcases and similar receptacles which are adapted to be opened for their full length simultaneously, and is also adapted for use on more flexible articles where it is sometimes advisable to open only such portion thereof as is necessary, such as longitudinally split golf bags such as disclosed in Patent No. 1,325,692, issued Dec. 23, 1919, and can also be modified for use on garments.

The invention is particularly designed to provide a set of latches which are adapted to receive hooks or other retaining elements, there being a manually operable mechanism for opening all the latches in unison, or for independently operating each latch.

This invention is applicable to equipment for a look by means of which the mechanism can be so secured as to prevent. either independent or simultaneous operation of any of the latches.

he invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view of the device as applied to a golf bag. Figure 2 is an enlarged face view showing the upper part of the article shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a similar view with the lock casing shown in section. Figure 4 is a perspective view of one form of retaining element. Figure 5 is a side view of the up per part of Figure 2. Figure 6 is a face view of the bottom part of the article shown in Figure 1, and Figure 7 is a central section of the lower part of Figure 1, showing one of the latches in section and the remain cler of the device in elevation.

I use, on one side of the opening that is to be closed, a set of retaining elements such as hooks or small hasps or slotted lips, and in the form shown I illustrate a .series of retaining elements 10 with openings 11 therein to receive the tongue of latches to hold them shut, and while these retaining elements may be independently attached to one edge of an opening to be closed, I prefer to fasten them to a bar 12 which can be made of light material having a considerable degree of flexibility, but usually strengthened by being encased in the stilfening material constituting the article to which it is attached.

These spaced retaining elements are placed opposite a set of latches, which latches may be of any desired form, but I show in the present illustration the latches placed in small housings 13, these housings in turn being placed on a strip 14 and secured in position by rivets or the like, the strip 14 being also somewhat flexible in itself, but stiffened by the material in which it is mounted.

Each latch can be manually operated and comprises a suitable handle 15 projecting through a slot 16 in the top of the housing and secured in a bolt 17, which bolt is normally held shut by a spring 18, the latch on its projecting end having a tapered nose 19, so that when the end of a retaining ele ment is pressed against the end of the bolt the bolt will be slid back against the influence of the spring.

For stiffening the device, and to prevent the retaining element 10 from being longitudinally moved to be displaced off the edge of the bolt, the stop plate 20 is placed opposite the end of the casing 13. A strip 21 is slidable relative to the latches, and is usually made of thin flexible metal and is placed so that it runs thro'ugh each of the latch housings 13 and is connected with each of the latches, so that the latches can be independently operated, but all the latches can be operated in unison when the strip is manipulated. Such connection is shown in detail in Figure 7 the bolt having a recess 22, into which a stud 23 is placed, this stud being normally at the rear end of the recess 22 so that the bolt can be operated to release the retaining element 10.

It will be noted, however, from this view, that when the strip 24 is pulled by means of a suitable handle, such as the loop 25, the stud 23 engages the rear edge of the recess 22 in each bolt, and all the bolts are slid back at the same time.

It will thus be evident that. the parts can be separated gradually by unlatching each latch at a time to accomplish only a partial opening, or the entire opening can be accomplished at once by pulling on the handle of the strip.

This strip has another function in that it can be used to lock all the latches against opening by sliding the strip 21 up until the stud 23 in each recess 22 is moved to the other end of said recess.

I show one form of lock adapted for this purpose, the lock comprising a lock casing 26, and I show a key 27 which is adapted to move the key-operable tumbler 28 and to also operate the sliding plate 29 which has a slot 30 therein, into which slot 30 the pro jection or lip 31 on the end of the strip 21 projects. The lock is shown in Figure 3 in its locked position, the strip 21 being pulled up so that its studs 23 are at the upper end of the recess 22 in each latch, and the parts are thus held against any movement.

If the device is to be unlocked, the key 27 is operated to slide the plate 29 down, the projection 31 then being at the upper end of the recess 80 and having a distance equal to the length of the slot 30 in which it can be slid to open the latches.

I usually install a light spring 32 to move the strip down to its normal position so that the studs 23 engage the bottoms of the recesses 22 when the lock is unlocked, the spring 32, however, being much too light to operate the latches to open them when it is released by the look.

I claim:

1. A locking attachment comprising a set of retaining elements, a series of latches independently operable, a handle on each latch for its independent operation, a strip for operating the latches in unison, and a lock for holding the strip against movement.

2. A locking attachment comprising a set of retaining elements, a series of latches, a handle on each latch and an operating strip for operating the latches in unison, the latches having a connection with the strip whereby they are free for independent operation.

3. A locking attachment comprising a set of retaining elements, a series of latches, an operatin strip for operating the latches in unison, the latches having a connection with the strip whereby they are free for independent operation, a handle on each. latch and a lock for holding the strip against movement.

4. A locking attachment comprising a set of retaining elements, a bar, a series of latches on the bar, a slidable strip on the bar, the strip having a connection with each latch, said connection being disposed so that each latch can be operated independently and the latches can also be operated in unison by pulling the strip, and a handle on each latch.

5. A locking attachment comprising a set of retaining elements, a bar having independent latch housings thereon, springoperated latches in the housings, a handle on each latch, a strip passing through the housings and operable longitudinally, projections on the strip, each latch being recessed adjacent a projection to provide a lost motion so that the latches can each be operated independently of each other and of the strip, whereby when the strip is operated all the latch-es can be operated simultaneously.

6. A locking attachment comprising a set of retaining elements, a bar having independent latch housings thereon, springoperated latches in the housings, a handle on each latch, a strip passing through the housings and operable longitudinally, projections on the strip, each latch being recessed adjacent a projection to provide a lost motion so that the latches can each be operated independently of each other and of the strip, whereby when the strip is operated all the latches can be operated simultaneously, and a lock for sliding and holding the strip, whereby the latches can be held against opening.

7. A golf bag having a longitudinal opening extending for the major portion of its length, a series of independently operable latches along the opening having handles for their operation, a strip connected to the latches with a lost motion device so that when the strip is in central position the latch-es can be operated individually and when the strip is moved in one direction all the latches are opened simultaneously and when the strip is moved in the other direction all the latches are locked against movement, and a lock to hold the strip in this last mentioned position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereto set my hand, this 13th day of January, 1923.

ALEXANDER D. CROSS. 

